[Samoanjoe]

Was at Brands Hatch yesterday and there was a black 62 plate Q3 parked in the field just up from me. Another Q3 biker fan!
Edited by: Samoanjoe

 

[Gromit]

My all-time favourite circuit! I bloody nearly lived there in my misspent youth - Group 6 thundermachines, CAN-AM sports cars, Formula 5000 (anyone here old enough to remember Formula 5000? F1 type cars with friggin' great 5-litre V8s) and even F1 in the 60s & 70s, later on supporting a lunatic workmate who drove a privateer supercharged V6 Capri, then onto Touring Cars and Rallycross.

Ah, memories...

 

[Tyreman]

More memories. Still got the programme for the Anglo American motorcycle race meeting. Barry Sheene on a privately entered Yamaha in the make weight races! Ford P100 pick up truck racing anyone! One of the first corporates I got to go to in the mid eighties. Think the main race was the Rothamans 1000. Radio 1 roadshow with Pan's People dancing live. Old farts unite!

 

[argic]

You have to see the film "Rush" when it's released

 

[Racman]

Was anyone else at Brands on April 12th 1970 for the legendary BOAC 1000km race? It rained all day and Pedro Rodriguez in a Porsche 917 drove everyone else out of sight to win the 1000km race by 5 laps. I spent much of the race at the foot of Paddock Hill (when spectators were much closer to the track than nowadays) and still remember the sight and sound of 'big banger' sports prototypes being driven on the limit on a soaking wet track.

Fabulous stuff!

Racman

 

[Gromit]

Yup! At the time I lived on the London-Kent border and was a regular visitor to Brands in the late '60s/early 70's, watching Group Six, Formula 5000 and other exciting race series. On that day I was in my usual spot at the top of Druids, drenched but uncaring as I watched the gloriously over-engined cars tiptoeing and fishtailing round the hairpin. Rodriguez was incredible, how he kept that 917 pointing (most of the time!) in the right direction amazed a lot of spectators, me included.

Brands to me is one of the greatest tracks in the country and more recently I had the incredible experience of being driven round for a few laps in a Cobra Daytona and a Ford GT40 - both replicas but extremely close ones. Batting down the start/finish straight at full chat and feeling the car go light as it flew over the apex into Paddock was one of the greatest moments of my life without doubt.

 

[Racman]

Yup! At the time I lived on the London-Kent border and was a regular visitor to Brands in the late '60s/early 70's, watching Group Six, Formula 5000 and other exciting race series. On that day I was in my usual spot at the top of Druids, drenched but uncaring as I watched the gloriously over-engined cars tiptoeing and fishtailing round the hairpin. Rodriguez was incredible, how he kept that 917 pointing (most of the time!) in the right direction amazed a lot of spectators, me included.

Brands to me is one of the greatest tracks in the country and more recently I had the incredible experience of being driven round for a few laps in a Cobra Daytona and a Ford GT40 - both replicas but extremely close ones. Batting down the start/finish straight at full chat and feeling the car go light as it flew over the apex into Paddock was one of the greatest moments of my life without doubt.

Hi Gromit, good to hear from someone else who was present on the day. I still have the colour slides that I took on the day although due to limited film speeds of the time and the appalling weather photography after about 2 o'clock was largely a waste of time.

I also visited Brands as often as possible in the period from mid 60s to early 70s but living some 130 miles away, 2 or 3 times a year was about as often as I could manage.

I always thought that Brands was the best circuit in the country, probably because it wasn't just another disused airfield and as a result contained noticeable gradients and a variety of corners.
(Wasn't it at the next race at Spa that Rodriguez qualified on pole at an average speed of 157mph, an almost unbelievable feat at the time. That must have been something to see).

Happy days, Racman

 

[Gromit]

I think you're right. Spa, now THERE'S a track! I'd love to be there for a major event but have never made it. Being at the bottom of Eau Rouge has got to be even more exciting than being at the bottom of Paddock at Brands.

 

[RSQ3John]

There are some of us who own PC based car racing games that faithfully recreate every bump in the track - Brands is a favourite in the virtual world too.

 

[DavidS]

I love Brands. 90% viewing from Paddock Bend grandstand.
Started with watching bikes in the mid 70’s through F1 in ‘86, BTCC in the Andy Rouse era and Rallycross when the Group B(?) cars moved over after the rallying ban. Also a British Superbikes practice day.
Did two try out days…a wash out first time but managed 4 laps in the Fiesta and was second fastest in our group then the full session later in the single seater as well…great fun at Paddock Bend and Stirling but I did get a yellow flag for continual kerb hopping. Still managed to be quick enough for a wimp and never got overtaken.

Always wanted to see Eau Rouge at Spa.

 

[Racman]

....and to give some idea of the conditions on April 12th 1970:

 

[DavidS]

A typical summers day in Kent.
’Fun’ in a 917 though!

 

[Gromit]

Wow! The memories come "flooding" back... (sorry!)

The 917 was one **** of a beast. That class of car was almost too big for Brands but it made for one **** of a spectator sport. Watching those and the likes of Lola T70s in their various classes dicing on that track beats the **** out of current motorsport IMHO. Saloon car racing was almost as much fun if the grid included the great (the enormous!) Gerry Marshall in the DTV Vauxhalls.

 

[Malph]

I got my interest for motorsport back in the day by going to my local circuit at Crystal Palace. Watching the original tiny Minis racing against Mk1 Cortinas, Escorts and huge Ford Galaxys and Falcons around that track was great fun

The World's Oldest Racing Circuit – In London - Speedhunters

Crystal Palace, less than four miles from the West End of London, is one of the oldest venues used for racing in the world, and the first place from which live televised motor-racing was ever broadcast. Ad hoc motor races were first held on ‘London’s Own Circuit’ in 1899, and a permanent circuit...

www.speedhunters.com